This application claims the priority of 199 34 892.8, filed on Jul. 24, 1999, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a displaceable folding top for a motor vehicle, and more particularly, a motor vehicle top with a folding top cover material which is held to a folding top rod system comprising a plurality of articulated rod parts with a main hoop which is arranged in an area of a vehicle side and is swivel mounted to the motor vehicle, wherein the sealing element is held to a separately formed sealing frame.
DE 43 27 729 C2 discloses a folding top provided for a convertible motor vehicle and having a kinematically displaceable folding top rod system and a folding top cover material carried by the folding top rod system. The folding top can be displaced between a closed position spanning the car interior and a deposited position opening up the car interior in which the rods and the cover material are stowed in a folding top compartment arranged behind the seats. The rod parts of the folding top are coupled in articulated manner with one another and with respect to the vehicle so that, during the conversion from closed to deposited position, they execute a spatial rotary motion.
The rod parts comprise various side and cross hoops and bows that are kinematically connected without any extra degree of mobility such that the folding top can be put up or stowed with a control motion that acts only in longitudinal direction. The folding top in its lateral area has a main hoop each on the left and right vehicle side that is firmly connected with the vehicle body by an articulated joint. To the two lateral main hoops, additional side hoops designed as a roof frame are connected in articulated manner which, in the closed position, extend up to the windshield frame and cover the side windows. To ensure a wind and watertight seal in the closed position, a circumferential sealing element is disposed along the entire roof frame including the main hoop. In the conversion to the closed position, this sealing element must assume a precisely fitting seat with respect to the window edge or the window frame and must furthermore be put in place with a relatively strong application force. To avoid leakage problems, the folding top must have a high manufacturing accuracy.
A further problem may occur in the area of fastening the material to the body in the region of the folding top compartment. To provide sufficient mobility in the conversion between deposited and closed position, the cover material has a non-fastened section (a loose material section) between the fastening on the body and the fastening to the next closest rod parts of the folding top, the main hoops. For reasons of leak tightness, the aim is to keep the length of the loose material section as short as possible without unnecessarily limiting the mobility of the folding top. Also problematic is the uncontrolled fold formation of the cover material in the non-fastened area.
A further drawback is the relatively large amount of space required by the folding top in its deposited position. Due to the far rearward and downwardly offset connection of the main hoop to the vehicle body, and due to the large continuous length of the sealing element, the main hoop executes a large, control motion extending far forward and far rearward. When the folding top is folded, the main hoop, which is swung rearward into the folding top compartment, together with the sealing element fastened thereto, requires an amply dimensioned depositing space in the corner area in vehicle longitudinal direction.
DE 43 44 373 C1 discloses a further convertible vehicle top in which a sealing strip carrying an elastic sealing element to seal the folding top in its closed position is displaceably held on a roof frame part of the folding top rod system. This ensures that the end faces of the interacting sealing elements meet. This separation into two discrete components, i.e. the roof frame part on the one hand and the displaceable sealing strip with the sealing element on the other hand, makes it possible to achieve a largely frictionless closing and opening of the sealing elements. The translatory displacement of the sealing strip, however, requires relatively high design complexity. It also makes it impossible to reduce the stowing space.